Rivals
by JaydenMatthews
Summary: Pleasant Way high school quarterback: Emma Swan. Bartlett high school Cheer Captain: Regina Mills. They crash into each other and then meet at a party and fall in love? PW and Bartlett are rivals. They always have been but that doesn't matter when you are 18 and in love. But what happens when Cora, mayor of Bartlett and mother of Regina, finds out about the romance?
1. Chapter 1

If you grew up in a small town, you know that after the school year starts, Friday nights become a huge deal. Whe are Friday nights such a big deal? One word: Football. The hot chocolate on the cold nights, the popcorn and the nachos, the kids playing their own game behind the bleachers and, of course, the clash of the players. Mascots. Players. Cheerleaders. Fans. Teachers. All there for one reason: The Game. Touchdowns and field goals. Fouls and whistles. Cheers and chants and halftime dances. Yells of delight and groans of disappointment. Small town life means Friday night High School Football.

"Alright lads, this is it. Senior year. OUR time to shine. Let's get out there and kick some Lion ass." Killian "Hook" Jones said to his fellow senior football players.

"We have been playing together since Freshman year. We have a great bond and one hell of a captian to lead us. Any word of encouragement, Swan?" David "Charming" Nolan asked.

"They don't really want it now!" Emma Swan yelled as the Pleasant Way High School entrance song began to ring loudly through the speakers.

Here Come The Boom by Nelly echoed all through the small town of Pleasant Way and shook the bleachers with the bass.

"Here comes the..." one Patriot player poked a hole in the run through banner.

"Here comes the..." a second player poked another hole in the banner.

"Here comes the..." a third hole poked by a third player.

Holes being poked while players yelled "Hey!" along with the song.

"BOOM!" The Patriot players burst thorugh the paper banner with a Patriot head on the visible side. A cheerleader carrying a blue flag and the letters "P" and "W" stitched in red with white outline to match their school colors.

"Hello everyone and welcome to Friday night football. Game one for the Patriots against the Clarksville Lions. Tonight's Patriots are sporting their white jerserys with red letters and blue numbers while the Lions are in the red jersery's with white letters and numbers." the announcer's voice sounded through the speakers. "If you will check the paper given to you at the front gate, you will find both teams and a list of their players, jersery numbers, and their positions. And how about our Patriot line-up for tonight's game? Coach Gold and Water Boy Henry Mills. Neal Cassidy, number tweleve, Robin "Hood" Locksley number ten, David "Charming" Nolan number sixty six, and Will Scarlett number ninety nine are on the line tonight. Graham "Sheriff" Humbert number thirteen at wide receiver. August Booth number twenty nine full back. Killian "Hook" Jones number eighty seven half back. And Emma Swan number fifty six leading the boys tonight. Don't mistake this girl. She would rather play football than worry about her hair and make up any day of the week. She can throw. She can run the ball. She can take a hit and do some hitting just like the boys."

"I hate it when he does that shit." Emma said to August. " Ignore that shit, Swan. We got a football game to win!" Booth yelled back to his captain.

Emma, Booth, Hook, Charming, and Sheriff all walked to the fifty yard line for the coin toss.

"Home team call it in the air." the referee said before flipping the coin into the air.

"Tails." Swan called.

"Tails it is. Kicking or receiving?"

"We'll receive."

With that, the seniors ran back to their team.

"Line it up boys. Bring it home." Coach Gold yelled.

-30 MINUTES LATER-

Half time. The cheerleaders for the home team go out to the fifty yard line and perform a dance that they have been practicing for weeks. Then, the cheerleaders from the opposing team do the same thing. The football players return to their respected dressing rooms for a pep talk from their coach or from their team captain or even both depending on the score and the way the game seems to be playing out. The spectators in the stands rush to the concession stand for more drinks, a popcorn refill or some nachos, and a pickle for the kids.

-PATRIOT DRESSING ROOM/FIELD HOUSE-

"Alright, dearies, you have the lead on this one but do not underestimate your opponents. Things could easily change in the next two quarters. Run fast...Jump high...Protect Swan with everything you have. That hit in the first did a real number on her. We don't want to go losing our Savior now do we?" Gold asked. "Swan, any words of encouragemnet for these boys?"

"This is our first game. Our first of ten games this season, guys. Now is the time to set an example. Now is the time to get the word out about the Pleasant Way Patriots. We want state. We want a championship. Clarksville is not the most athletic. Their defense is poor at best. Their offense is even worse. Most of their team consists of Freshmen and Sophomores. The don't have the history or the bond that we have. This is OUR game! This is OUR house! We will NOT back down! We will NOT accept defeat! We will NOT show mercy! We will take this game and every other that we play! When we step out onto that field I want them to already know who we are! They will hear us coming and the will fear us! We wear the colors of America! America does not run! The Patriots do not run! WE KICK ASS!" Emma got louder as her speech went on.

The attempt from the captain to motivate her teamwas successful as the boys began clapping their hands and stomping their cleats against the bare concrete floor.

"WHAT DO WE WANT?" Swan yelled.

"VICTORY!" The Patriots replied.

"WHAT WILL WE HAVE?" Swan yelled.

"VICTORY!" The Patriots replied.

"THEN LET'S! GO! GET! IT!"

The Patriots grabbed their helmets and ran from the room yelling and cheering themselves on with their blood pumping and their hearts soaring. The onlookers in the stands cheered for the Patriots on from a standing postion. Emma had been looking at a man standing on the sidelines in a United States Navy uniform and didn't see that she was about to run into a brunette girl. But that is exactly what she did. They collided, hard.

"Watch it you over grown ass!" the girl yelled.

"Oh shit, I am so sorry. Are you okay?" Emma asked with her arms still around the girl to keep her from falling over.

"Oh...um...yes. I'm just fine. I'm sorry for the outburst. I didn't realize..." the girl said hearing a female voice under the white helmet.

"That I'm a girl. Yeah, I get that pretty often. I'm Emma."

"Hello, Emma. You are gonna be late. I believe you have a date with the offense."

Emma turned to look at the field and turned back to the girl but found that she had disappeared. With that, she ran onto the field and met her teammates on the sidelines.

Swan, Cassidy, Hood, Charming, Scarlet, Booth, Sheriff, and Hook took their positions on the fifteen yard line.

Swan took her position behind the center, her hands ready to take the snap. Everything seemed to slow down to slow motion. She looked to her right an dthen to her left to check the her boys.

"BLUE EIGHTY SEVEN!" she yelled and then stopmed her right foot.

"BLUE EIGHTY SEVEN!" she yelled again.

She looked to her right and made eye contact with Hook.

"HUT!"

Sheriff took off like a rocket. Emma rolled back. Hook ran aound behind Emma and took off for the End Zone. Emma bent down, sending a Lion defensive player falling over her back. She ran forward a few steps and jumped over anouther Lion defensive player. Finally seeing her opening and that Sheriff was in position, she pulled her arm back and threw the ball. It sailed up into the line of the lights, across the field and then fell straight down into the ready hands of number thirteen Graham Humbert. A Clarksville defender was right on his heels, though. The defender jumped with the intention of wrapping around Sheriff's legs and succeeded. As Graham was going down, he flipped the ball to his right where Hook had just run up beside him.

"TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS!" the announcer yelled through the speaker.

Most of the crowd had disappeared by the time the players had come out of the field house. They were showered and dressed back in their khaki pants and button down shirts. It was a requirement of Coach Gold's that all of his players dress "nice" on game days.

"If you wish to gain respect, you must dress respectfully." he had told them.

Emma stood in the doorway of the field house and watched as her team mates received hand shakes and slaps on the back from their proud fathers, hugs and smiles from their loving mother's, and even a kiss or two from their girlfriend.

"Feeling sorry for yourself again, Swan?" a female voice called from the opposite direction from where Emma had been watching.

"Fuck you, Lucas." Emma replied trough gritted teeth while trying to hide the tear that had escaped down her face.

"Hey, I meant no offense. I was just fucking with you...Are you okay, best friend?" Ruby asked.

"I'm fine. How did we do tonight?" Emma asked.

"One hundred fourty seven yards for passes. Thirty eight running yards. No sacks. One incomplete pass. Oh, and I made eighty seven dollars in tips."

"That puts us just shy of a thousand, right?"

"Yes it does. We will have that rent house in no time. Especially if we both keep saving the way we have been. We just have to pay our bills and keep on going and we will get there. Speaking of which, did you pay your car payment and insurance yet?" Ruby asked.

"They won't be coming to get the car this month. And the insurance is all caught up. Rubes, we have talked about the rent house. You know that I can't..."

"Em...you have got to live your life and stop worrying about them. It's been nearly two years. When are you going to stop and..."

"When I know that they are safe, Ruby!" the blonde interrupted with an outburst.

Seeing the hurt look on her best friends face made regret fill the blonde quarterback.

"I'm sorry, Rubes. Are we going to the party tonight? It's going to be at Hook's this time."

"Hell yeah we are! I need some music and some hunch punch in my life after working with Granny for so long."

"Dude, it was like four hours." Emma said with a side grin, knowing how impossible it was to please the older woman.

"Four hours of hell with that...woman." Ruby said and then bumped the back of Emma's right shoulder with her own shoulder with a smile on her face though she noticed the flash of pain in her friend's green eyes.

"Hard hit in the first quarter." Emma answered the silent question.

Ruby didn't believe her for one second, though Emma told her best friend all of her secrets and Ruby only, the brunette knew that Emma was lying in this moment. She knew that this was an injury that happened before the game. Football was a convenient cover up for all of the bruises and the injuries and the aftermath caused from her life at home. Ruby would never call her best friend out on these particular lies but she would always know the truth and this is why she is pushing so hard for the rent house. Her goal is to get Emma out of the situation that she is in. She WOULD get Emma out come hell or high water. That will happen but for now...party, music, and alcohol.


	2. Chapter 2

"I cannot believe that you are still wearing that!" Ruby said as she and Emma pulled up to the party house.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Emma asked in a confused tone.

"You are wearing khaki pants. Nobody wears khaki's to a party."

"Okay, oh wise party master. What do you wear to a party?"

"You wear jeans."

"Ruby, shut up."

"I'm just sayin', Em, it wouldn't kill you to wear jeans."

"I do wear jeans. I wear jeans to school and I wear jeans to work. But, what if I meet a girl tonight? I want to look good. Wouldn't you want to look good if you met a girl at a party?"

"You always look good, Emma! No matter what you wear."

"Confidence boost! Thank you, best friend. Let's get you some Hunch Punch."

Ruby and Emma walked up the gravel drive that lead to the house. In small areas, such as Pleasant Way, teenagers often had parties after games or on special occasions such as prom and graduation night. Most of the parties were held in locations that were not frequented by the town or county officials. Hook lived out on an old farming highway where no loaw ever seemed to be...ever. Hunch punch was typically the beverage of choice for these parties as it is cheap to buy and really easy to make. Hawaiian Punch (two gallon jugs) mixed with Quality House Vodka (one gallon jug). It is usually put in a cooler with a dispenser so that cups can be filled without much hassel and the line for such drink continues to flow. Sometimes, if it was available, slices of fresh fruit are added to the mix and the rule of underage parties reads as:

"The person who empties the cooler has to eat the fruit."

You did not want to be the person that emptied that cooler. See, alcohol absorbs into the fruit and you are going to end up drunk off of your ass after just the first piece.

Emma and Ruby continued walking up the drive, listening as the music from the house grew louder.

"So, did I tell you about the girl from the game?" the blonde asked.

Ruby immediately reached out and grabbed her best friend by the left arm.

"Emma Danielle Swan! We have fucking rules about girls! If something happens to one of us, the other is informed immediately or as soon as possible after the fact. I am just finding out now? I am both hurt and angry that I am just now obtaining such information." Ruby nearly shouted and poked her bottom lip out for effect.

"I literally ran her over on my way back to the field after half time. She called me an over grown ass until she realized that I am a girl and not your typical male player. I told her my name and then she told me I was going to be late for a date with the offense. I turned to look at the field and when I turned back to face her she had just disappeared." Emma explained.

"Did you get her name? Her address? Her phone number? ANYTHING?!"

"No, but I would no her if I saw her again without any doubt at all. You never forget eyes like that. They were like the color of the Mississippi River after a summer rain. They were full of excitiment and curiousity and wonder. Absolutley stunning."

At some point unknown to Emma, she and her friend had started walking again.

"Did she by any chance have black hair, an amazing skin tone, and a scar on her upper lip?" Ruby asked.

"How in the hell did you know that?" Emma snapped her head up at this question, amazed at the knowledge of the mystery girl that her friend had.

"Because she watched us walk up the road and she has been staring at you for the last five minutes, at least." Ruby answered as she poured herself a cup of hunch punch. "So, did you want me to bail or stick around? Because it would appear that your mystery girl is coming this way."

"Don't you move." Emma answered in a low tone.

"Not...a...problem..." Ruby whispered back in a tranced state as she laid eyes, for the first time, on the small brunette that was walking beside the other girl approaching Emma.

All four girls now stood in front of each other. Ruby stood next to Emma as a best friend should while the other girl across from her did the same.

"Hello, again. I'm afraid I was rather rude earlier tonight at the game. You are Emma Swan, quarterback for the Pleasant Way Patriots." the brunette spoke loudly so that she could be heard over the music,

"I am. And you are?" Emma replied.

"My name is Regina Mills. I am the Cheerleading Captain at Bartlett High School. It would appear that we attend rival schools, Miss Swan." a throat cleared beside her. "Oh, how rude of me. This is my best friend Belle French."

"Are you a cheerleader, too?" Ruby blurted out as though her mouth was no longer connected to her brain.

Belle laughed at the tall brunette and Ruby thought that it was the most beautiful thing that she had ever heard.

"Yes, actually. Regina, here, is our captain, but I am Co-Captain. I guess you could say that I am her right hand man, her side kick, and the brain behind the pair." Belle answered with a smile.

"I now have a whole new reason to go to football games. I bet you look killer in a cheer skirt. OH...FUCK...UM...Well. I'm Ruby, Ruby Lucas, but every body calls me Red."

"Is that because of the red streak in your hair?" Belle asked curiously.

"No, actually. I had a small obsession with Little Red Riding Hood as a child. My Granny got me a red cloak and I insisted on being called Red. I guess it just kind of stuck."

"I believe that is the most adorable thing I have ever heard." Belle said with a smile and Ruby felt her knees go weak.

"Can I get you a drink, my lady?" Ruby asked confidently.

"I would like nothing more, Red."

Regina and Emma watched as their respected best friends left fot the drink table together.

"You don't have a cup like everyone else. Are you not a fan of this hunch punch? You seem to be the person that people are celebrating tonight so that makes me wonder you aren't celebrating." Regina enquired.

"Hunch Punch is just fine I guess. I'm just not a fan of alcohol in general. I also have to work in the morning, so drinking tonight would not be a good idea. Plus, Ruby is probably going to get just two shades lighter than hammered so I'll need to be sober to get her home later." Emma answered. "Do you want a drink? You don't have a cup either."

"Oh, no. I don't drink. I don't have to work in the morning like you, but I also have a best friend that will need a sober driver to get home tonight. Plus, I find that I can have a better time while sober and I don't make a fool of myself and see it on FaceBook tomorrow morning." Regina answered.

This made Emma smile. "You do have a point there."

Both girls stood there with their hands in their pants pockets not sure what to say next.

"So, what brings you to a Pleasant Way party?" Emma asked now extremely curious.

"Honestly, you do." This grabbed Emma's full attention. "I told Belle of our...encounter at the game tonight and she insisted that I attend this party to properly introduce myself to you. She was so sure that you would be here and as it seems, she was correct."

"You...came here...because of me?"

"Yes, Miss Swan. Is it so difficult to believe that I would attend a party so that I could run into you and introduce myself?"

"Um...yeah it is actually. I only just met you, officially, twenty minutes ago. I saw you for the first time about an hour ago. So, why would you want ot come to a party, hosted by the football team of your rival high school, that I may not have even been at, just to introduce yourself? And my name is Emma, not Miss Swan. I don't know who Miss Swan is but she isn't me."

"Because Gina has had the hugest crush on you ever since last year when we played you guys at the football." a very drunken Belle answered. "We were at our school and Gina saw you after the halftime. Your helmet was still offff and she just stared and made lovey eyes to you. She watched you the whoooole rest of the game. I think she may have stalked you to the big yellow bus, too."

Emma looked at, a very embarrassed, with a unbelieving expression. Ruby, who was also drunk, looked at Belle like she was the most amazing being that had ever walked the planet.

"I believe that is our cue to take our leave." Regina said and then grabbed her friends arm to drag her to the car.

"Don't you let that girl get away, Swan. Open your fucking mouth and say something to her. You can't let her leave feeling soooooo embarrassed." Ruby said where only her friend could hear her.

"Let me take you to dinner." Emma blurted out to the backs of the two Bartlett girls that were walking to their vehicle.

Regina stopped and released her hold on Belle's shirt. She turned slowly and looked directly into jade green eyes.

"What?" she asked.

Emma just stared at her for a minute. She could see the insecurity in her brown eyes and the still evident pink tint to her cheeks.

"I would like to get to know you and talk to you some more. Food is a great way to do that. I would like to take you out. So, will you go have dinner with me? Tomorrow night?"

Regina's face began to break out into the most amazing smile that Emma had ever seen.

"Granny's Diner? Seven o'clock?" the brunette asked.

"It's a date, Regina Mills."

With that, Regina smiled and then turned to make her way to her car again.

"It's a date..." Emma whispered to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma managed to get Ruby home later that night in one piece. Granny thanked her and made sure she took a plate home for herself. Ruby's grandmother had raised her from a very young age as her parents had been killed in a car accident. From the time that Ruby and Emma became friends, Granny had just started seeing Emma as another grand child. She gave her a job at the diner along side Ruby and she fed her more often than not. It was not unheard of for the older woman to send a plate of food home with the young blonde at least once a day. Granny, unlike most other citizens of Storybrook, knew of the two other children that lived inthe same house as Emma. She knew of the foster parents and their unethical ways of treating the foster children. She knew of the abuse and how the leftovers from the diner and the food that Emma buys with her paycheck is the only way that food goes into that house. She can only afford to pay Emma minumum wage but that is better than nothing.

The next morning, Emma awoke to the sound of her alarm blaring Bach Cello Suite Prelude at five thirty. She went into the bathroom and took her morning shower to wake her up and then she made a pot of coffee. At six fifteen, she heard the slow paced paddle of little feet coming down the hallway and knew what came next.

"Emma, we're hungry." a little four year old Gabriel said.

"Can we have pancakes?" a five year old Gracie added.

"You sure can. Why don't you two go get dressed and I'll start breakfast?" Emma instructed.

The two little ones ran off back to their bedroom and found their clothes laid out on their respected dressers containing very little clothing but at least they all fit now unlike a month ago when Emma had to go buy them all new clothes because they were all way too small. They had brand new shorts and teeshirts and a few pairs of nice pants. Gabriel had a few button downs in different shades of blue because blue was his favorite color and the little blonde looked good in blue. Gracie had some pink shirts with fairies and inspirational sayings on them and she loved them because they were shiney. But the two children knew that it was a play clothes kind of day.

Emma had just poured the batter onto the skillet when she felt a strong hand grip her upper right arm and pull her back roughly.

"We have told you to keep those brats quiet this early in the morning." a man's voice said into her hair.

"I'm sorry Mr. Anderson. They are just excited because they are getting pancakes this morning. I made good tips the other day and thought they could have some." Emma explained to her foster father.

"Good, you can pay your rent, then." Mrs. Anderson said as she leaned against the doorway to the kitchen.

"Yes ma'am." Emma said softly as she closed her eyes.

The older man's grip tightened against her arm and she was sure it was going to bruise. The pain caused her to flinch.

"Don't you try to fucking pull away from me you disrespectful little bitch!" he shouted.

"You are hurting my arm." Emma said weakly.

"I'll show you pain!" he said before roughly turning her to face him and slapping her across the face.

Up to this point, Mr and Mrs Anderson had never struck her in the face. The usual consisted of rough grabbing of her arms and sometimes by her hair, they sometimes slapped her in the back or on the side of her head. Mr Anderson had been known to push her against the wall and stand flush against her backside when Mrs Anderson was not at home. Mrs Anderson had taken a belt to Emma's back on numerous occasions due to her "lack of respect" in their household. Many times, Emma had taken these shots and so many more because she refeused to allow the Anderson's to lay their hands on Gaberiel and Gracie. Many times she had walked through the front door with the Anderson's screaming at the children while they cowered in fear in the corner of the room or on the couch.

Emma raised her hand to her lip and then looked down to see that her lip had been split and was bleeding. She looked up to see that he had raised his hand to her again.

"Emma! No!" she heard Gracie yell and looked over to see the two children standing in the doorway about to witness everything.

"Get them out of here!" Emma said through gritted teeth.

"You know, Emma, I believe I'll have them watch. This will be a good lesson for them about having respect in this house." Mrs Anderson said with an evil smirk on her lips.

"Please..." Emma begged.

But then she felt it. Mr Anderson's fist. It had connected with her jaw on the right side and then again and again. She stumbled to try to get away from him and fell on the floor right in front of the older woman and the children. Mr Anderson climbed on top of her and started hitting her more. She turned to see tears running down their little faces. That was the last thing she saw.

- _ **ONE HOUR LATER**_ _ **-**_

"Where in the hell is Emma?" a grumpy Ruby asked as she walked from the back of the diner leading to her upstairs apartment.

"She's late." Granny said simply.

"Well did she at least call and say when she is going to be here?"  
"No. She hasn't called at all, Ruby."

Granny and Ruby shared a knowing look. Ruby knew about the abuse. Granny knew about the abuse. But, Emma had begged them not to turn in the Anderson's because that meant she would be moved out of Storybrook, away from her school and away from the kids.

"You don't think..." Ruby trailed off hearing the door open and a Gabriel running in calling her name.

"Gabe...where is Emma?" Granny asked calmly.

"She disrespected Mr. Anderson when she was making pancakes and he punished her. She was asleep in the floor when I got Gracie to come with me." the small boy answered as the small girl walked in the diner.

Ruby raised her hand and covered her mouth and tears filled her eyes. She feared for her best friend on a daily basis. She was so terrified that there would come a day when Emma would not wake up after her "punishment" from the Anderson's.

"That is it!" Granny yelled and ripped off her apron.

"No, Granny. Where do you think you are going?" Ruby questioned.

"That girl has been through enough! I cannot just stand by any more and deal with this! She does not deserve to be their punching bag! I am going over there, I am getting Emma, and none of them are going back over there! Do you hear me?" Granny yelled as tears fell down her own aged face.

"I know, Granny, believe me. I don't want to see her hurt anymore than you do. But she has begged us not to step in. She wants to to stay here in Storybrook, and graduate here. Hell, you have seen that girl play sports. She is good enough to get a scholarship and go to college and get out of this town the right way, rather than being dragged while kicking and screaming. Please, stay here. When Emma gets here we can talk to her about moving in with me at the apartment upstairs." Ruby explained.

"How do you even know she is going to wake up this time, Ruby? What if we are already too late?"

Ruby's eyes opened wide and she ran out of the door without another word.

 _ **-**_ _ **Anderson Residence**_ _ **-**_

Seeing that the car belonging to the older couple was gone, Ruby went around to the back of the house and pushed the bedroom window open. This particular window was directly over the bed in the master bedroom but Ruby could care less if she fell right on top of those sorry bitches at this point. However, the bed was empty so she fell on it and then rolled off. She looked around the floor as the small boy did not specify which floor she was in. After clearing the master bedroom, she moved down the hallway and check the kids room but it was also empty. She moved into the living room and that's when she saw a hand in the doorway leading to the kitchen. Ruby felt her heart hit her stomach. She ran to the body of her best friend.

"Oh, God...EMMA! EMMA OPEN YOUR FUCKING EYES! PLEASE, BE OKAY! EMMA! WAKE UP!" Ruby yelled.

With a shaky hand, she pulled her phone from her pocket and called for an ambulance. She explained to the woman on the emergency line what had happened and that Emma was unconscious. She sent Granny a text message telling her that she needed her and to leave the kids in her apartment.

All Ruby could do was stare at her best friend. She looked so broken and Emma never looked broken. The blonde refused to let anyone see her down but now, she had no choice. There was blood everywhere. It had run down her face from her nose and lip and a gash on her eye brow. Her shirt and blonde locks were stained red with her own blood. Her breathing was shallow and short. Her face was swelling and beginning to turn different shades of blue and purple.

Just as Ruby was reaching to touch Emma, there was a pounding at the front door and even though she didn't want to leave her best friends side, Ruby ran to the door and flung it open revealing her grandmother.

"Granny..." the younger girl whispered with tears escaping her eyes.

The older woman grabbed her granddaughter and pulled her into a hug then, to Ruby's surprise, lifted her feet from the floor and carried her back into the house. She eased her back to the floor when she finally laid her eyes on the very damaged Emma Swan. All that could describe the way the woman looked was a death glare.

"They are going to pay for this..." the older woman whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

_**UPDATE:**_

I want to apologize for not giving regular updates on the story. I have so much going on in life right now and I have not been able to focus on much of anything except simply surviving on a day to day basis. My depression is getting to better of me and I have found myself in a dangerous place. I have relapsed after 2.5 years, my marriage may be ending, and my 8 year old tells me that I am a stranger to her. At this current time, I am going to focus on getting healthy again before I try to update any further. I am so sorry to disappoint you. I will return as soon as I can.


	5. Chapter 5

_**It has been nearly 2 months since I have last said anything to anyone on this site. I have been doing more reading and a lot of dealing with my own personal life and it seems as though things have hit a stand still; no better, no worse. I am working on Soul Strings currently but what I am really needing are people to talk to both about the story and about life. I tie my personal life to my stories and I guess to be able to get it right I need to be able to talk about it first. So I guess what I am asking for is some people to talk to...**_


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